Everything To Fear
by Sarah Ava
Summary: "With everything to fear, who do you trust?"  Click to read full summary.
1. Chapter 1: Please, be careful

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Summary:** Following the death of Dumbledore, everyone was taken to 12 Grimmauld Place for protection. After a series of events, a new girl is welcomed into the Order, but Hermione is far from enjoying her company. The new girl outperforms Hermione in everything that she does, and Hermione can't help but think that something is not right about her. In addition to her suspicions, Hermione also realizes a certain connection between her and the one person who has hurt her the most. Through battles, quarrels, and rendezvous, Hermione must make life changing decisions to once and for all defeat Lord Voldemort. (It's not a very good summary, but it's the best I could think of.)

There is a character in this story that I made up.

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**Chapter 1: "Please, Be Careful."**

As she dashed through the Forbidden Forest along side of her childhood enemy, Hermione couldn't help but wonder how she had gotten into this predicament. The sky above boomed with thunder, and within minutes she was face-to-face with the one person she feared the most. Her stomach churned as the powerful, red eyes of the Dark Lord glared daggers into her soft, amber ones. Draco, who had plenty to say before, stood paralyzed by the sudden encounter of Voldemort.

Hermione's heavy breaths began to quicken when Voldemort swiftly pulled out his wand and pointed it directly at her. She could feel Draco's piercing stares as he witnessed the scene before him. Just as she thought Voldemort would strike her, he turned to Draco. "_Crucio!_"

Hermione gasped in terror as she watched the blond boy fall to the ground and thrash in pain. A surge of adrenaline overcame her as she spoke out against the vicious wizard. "Stop! Please, stop!" Even as the tears flowed down her cheeks, Voldemort continued to pleasurably watch the agony of the boy writhing on the cold terrain.

A sudden voice came from the darkness, "Listen to the girl. Let him go." To her surprise, Voldemort obeyed the calm and familiar voice. But when the figure emerged from the darkness, she could not believe her eyes.

_One Month Earlier_

"Hermione." Harry snapped his fingers in front of his distracted friend, who had been staring at the wall for five minutes while Harry was talking.

She looked up at him across the kitchen table, confused. "What?"

"Did you hear a word I just said?" Harry questioned with an annoyed tone.

The truth was, she hadn't heard what a lot of people had been saying for the past few weeks. Hermione tried to deny it, but the truth of the matter was that Dumbledore had been murdered, and no one took it lightly. One thing that she thought about was the toll it had taken on her best friend. Harry had to witness Dumbledore's death, and Hermione thought it strange that he could hide his feelings so well. She knew how much he was hurting. At night she could hear his sobs to their former Headmaster, and more recently, his godfather. Dealing with the death of one of the most important people in his life was hard enough, but losing another one should have been his breaking point. But he continued fighting with the Order of the Phoenix in hopes of destroying the man behind all of the deaths.

"Hermione! You're doing it again." Harry said angrily, pulling her from her thoughts.

"Sorry," she muttered.

He sighed, realizing the aggravation in his voice. "No, I'm sorry. I know that these past couple weeks have been hard on you, too." He paused, looking at her concerned face. "What are you thinking about?"

Hermione froze, not wanting to talk about her worries. "It's nothing."

Although she tried to hide her feelings, Harry knew better. "You can talk to me, Hermione. Come on, what's wrong?"

She debated with herself for a few minutes. Should she confess her concern for him? Despite being tough when it came to fighting and standing up for his friends, he didn't take sympathy and comforting very well. "I'm just worried about my parents."

It wasn't a total lie. She was devastated when she was told that she couldn't return home after everything that happened at Hogwarts. Yes, she felt a lot safer at the house on Grimmauld Place, but she would feel a lot better knowing that her parents were safe from the dangers of whatever creatures were roaming the Muggle world.

"Maybe you should go see them," he whispered as he looked around to make sure no one was around to hear him.

The first thing that they were told when they arrived at the house was that no one was allowed to leave, no exceptions. And Hermione knew that this was one of the exceptions that their guardians were talking about. The brainy teenager was never one to break the rules, but with Voldemort and the Death Eaters on the loose, all she ever did was worry. But if she could make sure that her parents were okay, that would be one less thing she would have to worry about.

She thought for what seemed like hours, contemplating the dangers of leaving the house unnoticed and unprotected. She stared at Harry, making sure that he was serious about letting her leave, and by the genuine look in his eyes, she could tell that he was.

Harry got up and walked around the table. When he reached Hermione, he put his hand out for her to take and said, "Let's go."

She took his hand, and they ran up to the drawing room, where they knew no one would be, and locked the door. Harry talked to Hermione about always being alert, lectured her about making sure she could get her wand, and stressed that she be quick. When Harry was done he pulled her into a hug and said, "Please, be careful."

Hermione tightened the hug around her best friend and replied, "I will." And with that, she disapparated out of the room, leaving Harry with doubts about what he had just done.

Now outside of her house, Hermione took a deep breath as she took long strides toward the door. Her hand froze around the doorknob as she realized that her once bright and cheery house was dark and depressing. The watch around her wrist read nine o'clock, and she found it strange that her parents would be asleep.

A shriek coming from inside the house caused her to throw the door open and race inside, pulling her wand out in the process. The shrieking stopped. The room she was in was pitch black. "_Lumos!_" she whispered in fear that someone other than her parents was in the house. Her eyes scanned the room, but she saw nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly, she made her way from room to room anticipating finding the source of the screech, but she had no luck.

With only one more room to check, her parents' room, she started to recognize the shriek. It was so distinct that she wondered why she didn't realize it earlier. The shriek belonged to none other than the infamous Bellatrix Lestrange. In fear of facing the black-haired monster, she turned around in hopes of escaping, when she found herself face-to-face with the person she was trying to avoid. "Looking for me, Mudblood?" An evil grin spread across Bellatrix's pale face. "_Expelliarmus!_" Hermione was thrown against the wall, losing her wand in the process. As she tried to lift her head, out the corner of her eye, she saw a silhouette behind her attacker. The mass of white-blond hair stood out to identify him as Draco Malfoy, Slytherin antagonizer, and nephew of Bellatrix. The grin on his face matched his aunt's as he stepped forward, revealing himself to her.

"Where are my parents?" She managed to choke out before Malfoy's wand was out and positioned right next to Bellatrix's.

"I don't think you're in any position to ask questions, Granger," Malfoy spat. His wand closed in on her, and it was touching her throat. "Where is the Order of the Phoenix?"

No words escaped her mouth as she glared at the person, who lived to insult her, as he now needed her for information. "Answer me!" He shouted, trying to intimidate her, but it didn't work. She remained silent.

That's when his ruthless aunt pushed him aside, taking control. In a conniving tone she said, "He asked you where the Order was." When Hermione still didn't say anything, Bellatrix screamed, "_Crucio!_"

The pain that overwhelmed the young witch was excruciating. Her head felt like she was about to burst, and she screamed for someone to help her. With her eyes slightly opened, she could see the satisfying look on Bellatrix's face, and, what looked like, fear in Malfoy's eyes. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the pain would soon end.

To her bewilderment, the pain slowly subsided. It was then that she noticed the new voices coming from all around her. Gradually opening her eyes, she recognized her two best friends running toward her, and the older members of the Order of the Phoenix expelling the Death Eaters from the house.


	2. Chapter 2: It's Not Fair

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note:** Thank you to -typing-pictures- for reviewing the last chapter! It really means a lot to me. I really don't like this chapter, but I kind of needed it to prepare for the next chapter. But reviews are always welcomed:)**  
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**Chapter 2: "It's Not Fair."**

Hermione and Harry hung their heads in shame as their guardians paced back and forth in front of them, contemplating how to go about their lecture.

After minutes of agonizing silence, Lupin faced the two teenagers and began, "How could you two be so careless?" He turned to Hermione with a disappointed look plastered all over his face. "I would never expect you of all people to do something like this, Miss Granger. You could have died. Do you understand that? You were in the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange." The frustrated man lowered his head, unable to look at the saddened faces of the teenagers before him. "Just tell me one thing. Why did you do it?"

Hermione stood up, catching the attention of Lupin, and ultimately causing him to look at her. "Sir, it's my parents. I have been worried about them, and I just wanted to make sure they were okay."

This time, it was Professor McGonagall that spoke, "And what does Mr. Potter have to do with this?"

Hermione didn't know how to answer the question without getting Harry into trouble, but it didn't matter because Harry stood beside her and explained himself. "I'm the one that told her to go see them." Every face in the room changed from disappointed to shock as he continued to talk. "I don't mean this to be rude, but it's not fair that she didn't get to see her parents—"

"So, you took it upon yourself to right our wrong?" The booming voice coming from Alastor Moody made the already frightened minors to jump. "Am I right? You thought that it wasn't fair, so you did whatever you wanted. Well, I don't think that it's fair that we have to fight to stay alive. I don't think it's fair that Dumbledore had to die because Snape betrayed him. And I don't think it's fair that we have to watch you two closely because you don't know how to follow rules!"

Hermione slowly lowered herself into her seat, promptly followed by her embarrassed friend. Ron's timid mother was the next to talk, "Alastor, I think that's enough." Mrs. Weasley motioned for the two to leave. "I will talk to you later."

They didn't hesitate. Feeling the wrath of Mad-Eyed Moody was not something that anyone wanted to experience. As Hermione opened the door, she found her redhead friend in front of her, trying to listen to what was going on. Ron stepped back and stared at the floor, as his two friends walked at of the room, closing the door on the way out.

Without saying a word, Hermione, Harry, and Ron made their way up to the two boys' room. Hermione sat on Ron's bed next to him, and Harry planted himself on his bed across from them. The Trio remained silent.

Hermione couldn't get the events of the night out of her head. The pain she felt when Bellatrix had cursed her, the look in Malfoy's eyes, the way Mad-Eyed Moody talked to them, the urgency in Lupin's voice. It was all so new to her. This night was a revelation for her. She realized the seriousness of the situation. This wasn't some game that would have no effect on the loser. It was a battle to the death, and only the winner would get out alive.

With everyone asleep, the three friends found it safe to move to the kitchen. Tip-toeing down the steps, no one made a sound until they sat down at their destination. Shocking Harry and Hermione, Ron immediately started asking questions. "What the bloody hell was that all about? How could you let her leave, Harry?"

Raising her voice to Ron, Hermione spoke up, irritated by the sudden overprotective attitude, "We already got lectured by Lupin and Moody, and we don't need you to scold us as well."

"You could have at least told _me _about it." He sighed, annoyed that they left him out of the loop. "You're lucky Harry came to his senses when he did, or Bellatrix would have killed you."

She winced at the reminder of what Bellatrix put her through. As tears accumulated in the corners of her eyes, she couldn't look at her reprimanding friend any longer. As much as she hated expressing her feelings, it was impossible for the damaged girl to hold in her sobs. She placed her head in her hands and wept. Instantly, she felt the strong arms of Harry wrap around her.

As soon as he saw his weeping friend, Ron regretted what he had said. He guiltily lowered his head, staring at the floor. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I didn't mean it."

Hermione looked up with red, puffy eyes and replied, "No, you're right. If you hadn't showed up, I would probably be dead right now. I'm an idiot for leaving here without protection, and I probably deserved what I got."

"No, Her—" Ron was interrupted by a sudden commotion coming from outside the kitchen. Harry and Hermione heard the noise, too, and both of them were standing with their wands pointed towards the kitchen door.

Hermione's heart was beating out of her chest as she waited to find out who, or what, was behind the door. Although silence was all that followed, the two friends didn't move. Ron was now on his feet, and he also had his wand out. As they anticipated the next move, a creak from behind the door set off Hermione. "_Reducto!_" She screamed, causing the door to explode.

Almost immediately, the intruder threw the three back against the wall. Hermione glanced up at the smoke caused by her spell and waited as the assailant advanced closer to them.


	3. Chapter 3: This Is Aria

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note: **I apologize for the shortness of the chapter! When I was writing it, it seemed a lot longer:/ But I actually like this chapter despite the shortness:) I already know how the next chapter will go and if I'm quick, I can have it up by tomorrow:D**  
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**Chapter 3 – "This is Aria"**

Hermione scrambled to find her wand as she saw the figure moving through the smoke. Her head was throbbing, and when she touched it, she realized that it was bleeding. As the figure got closer, she completely gave up on trying to find her wand in the mess they created, and instead, pulled her two friends up off of the ground. Neither one of them had their wands either. They looked around, hoping to find an alternate exit when an assemblage of people came running down the stairs.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Fred, and Ginny came rushing into the kitchen, while George tried to calm the now shrieking painting of Walburga Black. Their puzzled faces became even more confused when they noticed the new presence in the room. But as the smoke cleared, revealing a girl around the teenagers' age, their confused state soon subsided and joy overcame them. The sudden change in expression perplexed Hermione as they happily welcomed their attacker. "What's going on here?"

Mrs. Weasley turned to the confused, young witch with a smile on her face. "Oh, I'm sorry, dear. This is Aria. She's a new member of the Order of the Phoenix."

Aria sent an apologetic smile towards Hermione and her friends. "Sorry about the misunderstanding. You kind of caught me off guard." The newcomer's crystal blue eyes gleamed with acceptance as Harry and Ron grinned with approval. Aria was a very pretty girl. Her pitch-black, straightened hair landed right below her bare shoulders and covered the skin that her low cut camisole didn't. The short jean shorts fit her slim figure perfectly. Standing beside Mrs. Weasley, she seemed rather tall. But when the twins stood behind her it revealed her true height, where she stood at about five foot four.

After taking a long look at Aria, Hermione looked down at herself. She was wearing a plain t-shirt and khaki Capri pants. Her brown eyes were no comparison to Aria's blue ones, and the brown curls that brushed her shoulders were knotty due to the attack. When she looked at her two best friends, Hermione could tell that they noticed Aria's beauty as well, and they had completely forgotten that she was standing there.

Pretty soon, everyone was surrounding her, shaking her hand and welcoming her to the Order. Well, everyone except Hermione. She stayed behind and watched as her friends marveled over the new girl. But something about Aria struck Hermione as odd. Hermione had never met this girl before, which meant that she didn't go to Hogwarts. And although Mrs. Weasley seemed to recognize her, it wasn't enough to give her one of the motherly hugs that Hermione received every time she saw her. So, how did she know about the Order of the Phoenix? And she must've been pretty powerful if she could send three teenagers flying across the room. But that wasn't even something that Hermione had learned in her six years as a witch, so why could this mysterious girl do it?

Her thoughts were interrupted by Aria's cheery, but annoying voice. "Hermione, right?"

Hermione nodded, trying to avoid having an actual conversation with the girl she had so many questions about.

Aria took a step closer to the disapproving girl, trying to get through to her. "I really am sorry about before." She looked at the cut on Hermione's head. "I hope I didn't hurt you—"

"You didn't," Hermione quickly shot back at her, avoiding her pounding headache and the sting of the cut. When she took a glimpse at her friends, they seemed surprised at her sudden negative attitude toward the new member of the Order. Without waiting for a response, she excused herself, going up to her room, leaving everyone in the kitchen with Aria.


	4. Chapter 4: Get Out Of My Head

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note:** So, I thought I was going to like this chapter a whole lot more than I actually do. I thought it would turn out a lot different. There's just some parts that I hate, but I don't know how to fix it. And, obviously, if you haven't figured it out, the italics means she's dreaming. (Except at the end.)

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**Chapter 4 – "Get Out Of My Head."**

Once she got to her room, Hermione didn't even bother changing out of her clothes before she turned off the light, hopped into bed, and drifted off to sleep.

_She walked down a long hallway, unsure of where she really was. She saw a door at the end of the corridor and ran towards it. Hesitating, she grabbed a hold of the doorknob and twisted it until the door swung open revealing a blank white room. When she glided into the room, the door slammed and disappeared into the wall. That's when she started to panic. She couldn't tell if the walls were actually closing in on her or if it was just her imagination. She let out a whimper of fear that was soon followed by a voice that didn't belong to her._

"_You need to calm down." The voice said mockingly._

_The voice seemed to echo throughout the empty room. Hermione looked around her, but the only thing she could see was the white of the walls, floor, and ceiling. "Who's there?" She called out._

_There was no answer._

_She frantically whipped her head in all directions trying to find the source of the voice. Before she knew it, she connected the voice to the person standing in front of her. "Malfoy?" She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Hermione desperately searched for her wand, wanting so badly to hex him._

_Practically reading her mind, he replied to her failed search, "Are you looking for this?" She expected him to have her wand in his hand, but instead, the white wall in front of them, turned into a stilled moment of earlier that night, right before she blew up the door, with her wand in her hand._

_She had never experienced anything like this. She turned to Malfoy for answers, "What's going on?"_

_He scoffed at her question, "Are you serious, Granger? Are you that dumb? You're dreaming."_

"_I know that!" Her blood was boiling at how he belittled her. "But what are you doing here? And what's with that?" She said, pointing to the wall with the image._

_Malfoy thought for a little before answering. "I thought I drop by for a visit, seeing as our little encounter was cut short. Why don't we go back to that?" The wall changed. Hermione was now watching as Malfoy replayed the moment that Bellatrix had cursed her. She tried to look away from watching her own writhing body, but she could still hear the cries of pain. A single tear feel from her eye as the scene repeated. She bent over holding her head as hard as she could, trying to block out everything that was going on around her. "Get out of my head!"_

_He couldn't help but notice the pain this scene was causing her. He wasn't sure what to do. If he kept it playing, Hermione would be in agony, but if he stopped, he might be viewed as weak. Taking another glance at the distressed Hermione, he knew he had to stop. So, he switched the scene to when Aria entered the room._

_Hermione was relieved that the display was over. She straightened up and wiped the tears away from her eyes. As she watched Aria enter the kitchen for the second time tonight, the witch couldn't help but glare at the beautiful girl._

_Malfoy looked over and noticed the anger in Hermione's eyes. "You can't trust her."_

_Hermione snapped her head toward him. "What did you just say?"_

"_You heard me." He said calmly._

_As much as she wanted to take his word for it, she needed proof. "How do you know that?"_

"_She knows where your parents are."_

_That last one shocked her to the point that she couldn't even speak. If Malfoy was telling the truth, and Aria really did know where her parents were, then it might give her the answers to her questions. When she looked at Malfoy, he seemed so content and relaxed that her suspicions grew. "Do you know where they are?"_

_ Malfoy avoided the question with a question of his own. "Why are you so stupid?"_

_ "Excuse me!" _

_"How can you act so calmly around me? I'm a Death Eater!" _

_She stepped closer to him, showing him how unafraid she was, "You don't scare me, Malfoy!"_

_He closed the space between them, "Well, I should." _

_Hermione's eyes burned into Malfoy's as they locked eyes for minutes at a time. She couldn't keep track of how long they'd been staring at each other until Malfoy finally spoke up. "You better watch your back, Granger. Because I have a feeling that my aunt isn't finished with you." A sudden bright light blinded her before everything went black._

Hermione's eyes shot open as the shock of the dream settled in. She laid in her bed wondering if everything that went on in the dream was true, or if it was just a dream. But a dim light against the wall caught her eye, and she sat up. Three simple words singed into the wall gave her the answer.

_Watch your back._


	5. Chapter 5: I Don't Trust You

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note:** Okay, so I haven't updated this in about a year, but hopefully I can get back on track and continue with it. I hope you like the chapter :)

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**Chapter 5 - "I Don't Trust You.**"

The next morning, Hermione got up earlier than normal. After she had the dream, she couldn't stop thinking about everything Malfoy told her. Not only did she need to keep a close eye on Aria, but she also had to worry about Bellatrix possibly coming back. All that plus trying to find and destroy the Horcruxes was all too stressful. So, Hermione promised herself that she would keep her dream, and all the details from it a secret. It was bad enough that she needed to worry about it; there was no use stressing everyone else out.

She looked over at a soundly sleeping Ginny and smiled at the fact that at least someone was having a good night sleep. Removing the covers, Hermione tiptoed toward the scorched note on the wall and whispered, "Evanesco." Within seconds, it was as if the warning was never even there.

A noise coming from her stomach made her realize that she hadn't eaten in over twelve hours. Naturally, she obeyed the grumbles and descended the stairs to the kitchen. The damages from the previous night must've been repaired by one of the others since there was once again a door to the kitchen. When the floor creaked beneath her foot, the events of last night began flashing through her mind. Hermione furiously shook her head, struggling to get rid of the memories. The images dwindled as her pounding headache returned from last night.

The girl ignored the pain in her head and pushed the door open, shuffling into a dark room. Flipping on the light switch, she lit up the room, but revealing that she wasn't alone. Across from her, Aria shot up from her seat at the table, undoubtedly after being woken up, but clearly aware of a presence in the room. It was obvious to Hermione that Aria was surprised to see her because her wand was out and ready to attack.

Hermione took a tentative step back, knowing exactly what the girl in front of her was capable of. Once Aria realized that it was only Hermione standing there, she lowered her wand and let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry. You scared me there."

Hermione waited until the wand was no longer in sight before advancing closer to Aria. "Sorry." She paused and looked at Aria. She didn't look much different than last night. She had a camisole on, but it was pink, whereas it was white when she last saw her. And the short jean shorts were replaced with short pajama shorts with polka dots. Even with her hair thrown up into a messy bun, she still managed to look as beautiful as she had the previous night.

Hermione quickly noticed the silence and took it to her advantage to try and get some answers from Aria. "What are you doing by yourself in the kitchen in the dark?" Her question seemed more like an interrogation than a simple question, and she immediately regretted asking it like that.

But Aria seemed to have no trouble answering the question, despite the harshness in Hermione's voice. "I felt bad about the mess, so when everyone went to bed, I decided to clean up. But I must have been so tired that I fell asleep right here." It wasn't exactly an unreasonable explanation, but something in the pit of her stomach told Hermione that it wasn't the whole truth. Hermione tried to hide the unconvinced look on her face, but Aria could see right through it. "You don't believe me, do you?"

Hermione merely shook her head in response.

Aria exhaled a long breath before continuing. "Why don't you like me?"

Hermione was taken aback at the question. She wasn't expecting such a straightforward question, let alone the sincerity in her voice. Hermione didn't know how to answer. She thought about it for a minute before she realized that she didn't exactly have a reason to not like her besides the feeling that she had in the pit of her stomach. "It's not that I don't like you. It's just," she deliberated about what to say next, "I don't trust you."

"I guess that's understandable, seeing as you haven't even known me for a day."

Aria seemed so empathetic towards her, that Hermione questioned herself for a minute about why she had such doubting feelings about her.

_She knows where your parents are._

The echoing voice of Malfoy reinstated her strong feelings toward the new girl. Hermione's entire body stiffened, and both girls could feel the sudden tension in the room. Aria looked down, unable to handle the loathsome glares from Hermione.

Hermione pried her eyes away from the uncomfortable looking girl in front of her as the loud growls of her stomach reminded her of the reason she came to the kitchen in the first place. Ignoring the slight smirk on Aria's face, Hermione rolled her eyes and walked over to the kitchen cupboard. After grabbing a muffin, she took a seat at the end of the table, far away from Aria.

Hermione tried to avoid eye contact with only other person in the room, but she could feel the stares coming from Aria's direction and instinctively turned to look at her. She realized that Aria was no longer standing, and she was also a lot closer than Hermione thought. She flipped her hair and looked away from Aria, hoping that she would get the hint and walk away, but she did the exact opposite.

Aria inched closer to Hermione to the point that Hermione was so uncomfortable that she had to move over a little. It soon became obvious that Aria wasn't leaving anytime soon. Hermione completely turned so that she was facing the girl. "What's your problem?"

The question seemed to take Aria by surprise because she moved away from the annoyed Hermione. "Um," Aria didn't know how to respond to the question. An awkward silence followed, and Aria moved even father from Hermione.

Hermione took that as a hint that she had won this time. She continued to eat her muffin and the kitchen gradually filled up with people. Although many conversations took place at breakfast, Hermione didn't pay attention to any of them. She was too focused on piecing together the events that occurred yesterday.

When her muffin was finished, she excused herself and escaped to her room, hoping no one would follow her. Fortunately for her no one did. Just in case someone decided to check on her, Hermione locked the door, and for the first time in a long time, she lost herself in tears.


	6. Chapter 6: We Are in a War

******Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note:** I just realized now that I never really made the time clear. This takes place after the sixth book, as if the seventh book never happened.

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**Chapter 6 - "We Are in a War."**

The next week seemed to follow that pattern – wake up, eat, go to her room – minus confronting Aria and crying. Even though most of the people in the house noticed her strange behavior, no one questioned it. Just as they were, she was suffering from loss, confusion, and confliction. And she was also worried for her family. In addition to all of that, Hermione had to worry about Malfoy, Bellatrix, and whatever Aria was hiding. She felt alone. She felt that no one knew what she was going through, always thinking about where her parents might be, if they were safe or not, if they were even alive. Just thinking about them made her stomach form knots. And she didn't know whether or not she could trust Malfoy. He was the enemy after all. How was she to know that he was telling the truth?

Throughout the entire week, she wasn't revisited by Malfoy in her dreams, and she was happy for the fact. Having retrieved her wand, she was able to distract herself from Malfoy and all of her other problems by studying magic books and teaching herself new spells. Most of the books contained spells that she could already do in her sleep, so the amount of spells to learn was slim; at least the spells that she could learn in _those_ books were slim. The books that she had in her room were far from advanced, and after not much time passed, she grew bored of them. It was then that she decided to take a trip to the library to find more advanced books to keep her mind off of everything.

Cracking her bedroom door open, Hermione peaked out to see if anyone was close enough to see her leave. After concluding that no one was in sight, she slipped out of the room, wand clutched in hand. She slowly made her way to the library, tip-toeing the whole way there. Safely making it to the library, Hermione slipped in and locked the door. Just being in the room calmed her down. She didn't move. She looked around the library, taking the sight in. Everyone had always called her a bookworm, and she never really knew how true that was until now, as she stood completely content having been surrounded by books.

A slight smile appeared on her face as she approached the bookshelves. This was the first time she had smiled since before Dumbledore was killed, and she could get used to it. As her fingered grazed the books, she skimmed over the titles, but she found that the titles didn't matter to her; she just needed something to preoccupy herself. She picked out a book at random and flipped through it. Inside she read information about spells that she already knew about: _Accio_, _Expelliarmus, _and _Expecto Patronum_. But the one charm caught her eye, Bewitched Sleep. Memories of her fourth year at Hogwarts, including when she was used in the second task in the Triwizard Tournament, came flooding back to her.

She relived the magnificent night at the Yule Ball with Viktor Krum and the entire year that she spent with him. She remembered the simplest times that she spent in the Gryffindor Common Room with Harry and Ron. She smiled as she imagined them laughing and joking around. She could picture herself jumping up and down as Harry flew on his broomstick and captured the egg from the first task. But then she remembered Harry appearing in front of the crowd after the third task, crying, with Cedric Digory's corpse in hand, and the smile was quickly erased from her face. Suddenly, all of the happiness she was feeling disappeared and was replaced by fear. Whether she knew it then or not, that moment that Harry appeared was the turning point in the war, the day Voldemort was brought back in the graveyard that Harry constantly had nightmares about.

A creak of the floor behind her brought her back to reality. Instantly on her feet, she turned around and said the first spell that came to her mind, "_Expelliarmus!_"

Aria, who had entered the room, deflected the spell and pointed her wand at Hermione. "What is wrong with you?"

The two girls remained silent, but never took their wands off of each other. Hermione was the first to speak. "How did you get in here?" She clearly remembered locking the door after entering.

"The door?" Aria sarcastically remarked.

Hermione didn't feel like dealing with Aria at this moment and was quickly becoming irritated. "I locked the door."

"I do have a wand, you know. I mean if you couldn't see it."

Hermione was beyond annoyed. She was about to through another spell at the girl when Aria spoke again, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"And why shouldn't I?" At that very moment, Hermione really couldn't think of a reason not to throw her against the wall.

"They already think you're unstable." Aria paused, expecting a response from Hermione, but she never got one. Hermione remained poised with her wand pointing at Aria. The only reaction out of her was a twinkle in her eye that resembled a tear. Hermione didn't want to believe that everyone she loved was losing faith in her, and she didn't believe it. Aria was hiding something, and this very moment confirmed it. Aria had to be lying. "They know you're going through a lot, but so are they. We all are. How could you be so selfish as to think of your wants while we are trying to think of a way to end this? We are in a _war_. Don't you get that? You don't get to think about yourself now, none of us do. Look, I know you don't like me, but you don't have to. You just have to work with me because believe it or not, I'm on your side."

Hermione couldn't listen to Aria anymore, even if some of what she said was true. She completely lost her self-control and started to fire any spell she knew. Her anger turned to frustration as all of her spells were successfully blocked by Aria, but she didn't retreat. Soon, spells were coming at her as Aria began to fight back. It was a losing battle for both of them, as they were both incredibly skilled and were able to block the other's attempts. Then the opening door distracted Hermione and a spell hit her dead on, causing her to fly backward and slam against a bookshelf.

No more spells were fired, and the room fell dead silent. Hermione stayed propped up against the bookcase, head hanging, too weak to hold it up. She couldn't move. As she attempted to do the simplest task of opening her eyes, her entire body screamed in pain. Some sort of noise must've escaped her mouth because she could hear footsteps shuffling towards her.

There were a lot of voices, none of which she could make out at the moment. Not much time passed before someone was lifting her. Shooting pains charged through her body, and this time she knew she groaned. A familiar voice calmed her, "Sh. It's okay. You're going to be fine." Harry.


	7. Chapter 7: It Changed Everything

******Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

******Author's Note:** Sorry it's short! The chapters will get longer as it goes on... I think :P******  
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**Chapter 7 - "It Changed Everything."**

As she slowly made her way to consciousness, Hermione desperately wished to slip back into her unconscious state. Her entire body was sore. Slowly but surely, she remembered the details of what caused her current state: being in the library with Aria, spells flying through the air, the door distracting her, and finally being defeated, having been flung at the bookcase. Everything that Aria had said rubbed her the wrong way. She hated that this new girl could come into her life and prove herself stronger and wiser than she. Hermione thought that that was the most unbearable part of this whole situation, that Aria was right.

Hermione was unstable; it was obvious to any living being. The stress of this war was almost unendurable. When she wasn't thinking about the Horcruxes, she was thinking about everyone in the Order. And when she wasn't thinking about them, she was thinking about her parents. And when she wasn't thinking about them, she was thinking about everything that could go wrong with every move she made. This war was mentally exhausting for Hermione, but it was for everyone else, too, which proved Aria right once again; Hermione was being selfish. Hermione locked herself in her room in hopes of escaping the trials and tribulations that the war has caused, but in doing so, she was isolating herself from those that needed her. Harry, who had been through more than any of them, could strongly hold his head high each day and do what was needed from him, and that's what Hermione needed to do. And as she lay in her bed, with the soreness as a reminder, she vowed to devote herself fully to the Order, despite what mental strains that might follow.

"Hermione?" The soft sound of Harry's voice reminded her that he was the one that carried her out of the room, regardless of her painful groans. Hermione's eye fluttered opened, blurry at first, but soon enough focused on Harry, who was sitting right next to her bed. Harry smiled. "You're awake."

"How long have I been out?" She was confused. She couldn't even recall passing out. All she knew was that it must've happened in his arms.

"A couple hours. Nothing to fret about." Harry calmly replied. "You were pretty much gone after I got you off the ground. Mrs. Weasley said that there was no serious damage done, except that you're going to have a nice bruise on your back for a few days from that bookshelf."

"What spell did she use?" Hermione was curious. She couldn't even extract one of the spells that she had been shooting, but _she_ was also in a rage.

Harry's smile slightly faded, but he tried not to show it. "Aria said she couldn't remember. It could have been any spell the way you two were fighting."

Hermione felt a pang of guilt as she remembered the opening door and realized that it must've been Harry who was coming in. "You saw us." It was more of a statement than a question, but Harry answered anyway.

"Yeah, I did. I'm probably the reason you got hit with the spell."

"No, don't blame yourself. I know it was my fault." She looked away from him. "I shouldn't have been fighting with her." A silence followed, and during that silence, Hermione recalled the memories from fourth year again. "We used to be so happy, Harry. It was almost like we didn't have a care in the world. But our fourth year at Hogwarts, it changed everything. We could no longer walk through Hogwarts and assume that nothing would happen to us. We couldn't go to Hogsmeade without looking over our shoulders ever five minutes. Every emotion that we felt was followed by fear." On the verge of tears, Hermione looked at Harry. "I just want to go back to a time where none of that happened, and I could be a normal teenager with normal teenage problems."

Harry reached for her hand and held it gently. "I think about that all the time. Sometimes I even wish that I wasn't a wizard, but there's nothing we can do to change what's going on except to fight. I know how hard this is, believe me, I do. But I just want this to be over. And we can't do that without you."

"I know. And I'm promising you now that I will dedicate every waking moment to the war." Hermione tightened her grip around Harry's hand. "I'll do it for you, for Ron, for all the Weasleys, for the Order, for Dumbledore, and for my parents."

"You forgot about someone."

Hermione slightly loosened her grip, a little angry that Harry wanted her to include Aria. "Harry, I know you like Aria and all but—"

"I wasn't talking about Aria." Hermione looked at Harry, confused. "I'm talking about you. Do this for yourself, Hermione. I know I am." Harry smiled at her. "And so are a lot of people. So fight for your freedom and happiness. Let those memories motivate you, so that one day, your life can be like that again."

All Hermione could do was smile and nod. She knew that Harry had good intentions, but the truth of the matter was that she believed her life would never truly go back to the way it was before the war.


	8. Chapter 8: Don't

******Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note:** Reviews would be lovely :)**  
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**Chapter 8 - "Don't."**

Despite her prior feelings, Hermione kept her word, and after spending the rest of the day in bed, she devoted the entire next day to researching with Harry and Ron. They were in the kitchen with books spread out on the table, silently reading to themselves when they heard the kitchen door open. None of them moved, too focused on the words in front of them. Hermione could feel Harry shift next to her and glanced over to see why. Now seated on the other side of Harry was Aria with a smile plastered on her face. "Do you guys need any help?" She said, causing Ron to also look up.

Hermione held back the urge to snap at her and received a thankful smile from Harry. The three of them looked at each other, debating how to answer. Finally Harry spoke up, always the one to take control of a situation. "Sure. It doesn't hurt to have an extra pair of eyes." He handed her a book, and she enthusiastically accepted it.

The four teenagers sat quietly in the kitchen, each focused on their book. It was a strange feeling for Hermione to have an extra person with the Trio in the kitchen, and she felt slightly uncomfortable. But she didn't let that distract her from the task at hand. When she finished the book in front of her, she looked for a new one to start. She scanned the books on the table, but soon realized that she had already read them all. Grabbing a couple of books that she knew they all had read, she stood up and said, "I'll be right back. I'm just going to go up to the library and get some more books."

Harry started to stand, "Do you want me to come with you?"

Hermione motioned for him to sit down. "I'll be fine. I promise not to attack anyone," she joked, but by the look on Harry's face, it was too soon to laugh about it. "Really, Harry. I'll be right back." Harry didn't seem convinced, but he knew there was no use in fighting her. He sat back down and returned his attention to his book.

Hermione, with a pile of books in her hands, cautiously made her way to the library. Upon entering, she kicked the door closed with her foot. After making her way to the bookcases, she began putting the books away.

Once all of the books were in their correct spot, she stood up, about to search for new books, when a hand covered her mouth, and she was pulled back against another body. Instinct took over, and she reached for her wand. Inches from it, another hand gripped her hand, preventing her from grabbing her wand. That's when she began to thrash out in horror, but no sound was able to escape her mouth due to the hand covering it. The hand that was covering hers, released it, but quickly removed her wand from her pocket and threw it across the room. Then, in a split second, she was turned around and pressed up against the bookcase with both of her wrists in her attacker's hand above her head. Seizing the opportunity, after noticing there was no longer a hand on her mouth, she prepared to scream when a wand was positioned at her throat. "Don't." It was only one word, but with that one word, Hermione knew that screaming would be a bad idea. She also realized that her attacker was none other then Draco Malfoy.

Hermione tried to stay calm, but it was hard to keep her composure with a wand pointed her. "Wh-what do you want?" She said it shakily, and she instantly regretted showing any weakness. She avoided looking at his eyes, and instead, focused on a spot in the middle of his forehead. She didn't move, afraid that even the slightest movement might set him off. He didn't answer, but instead closed the space in between them. Then it dawned on her: how did he know where to find her? Panic spread throughout her, realizing that he had found the Order, and that Death Eaters could arrive any minute. "How did you find out where I was?"

He must've sensed her panic because he smirked. "During our last encounter at your house, before your little backup arrived, my aunt planted a tracker on you wand."

Hermione was in disbelief. "You're lying."

"If I was lying, then how did I get here?" He was calm, and it made Hermione nervous.

Her mind raced. She couldn't think of any other explanation, and she mentally kicked herself for not realizing that she was being tracked. But why hadn't they attacked already? Were the Death Eaters on their way? Were they already in the house? Why didn't they attack as soon as they found out? Hermione needed answers, and she needed them now. "Why hadn't you attacked last week when you found out?"

Malfoy sighed, as if explaining was too much of a hassle for him, but he eventually spoke, "We just figured it out a couple days ago. You know, I have to give you guys credit. You did a very good job at trying to hide this placed. It took most of our combined magic to simply find it, and then more to get around the shield. But I guess you underestimated the Dark Lord."

At the mention of Voldemort, Hermione flinched. The fact that they were able to get into their sanctuary, their safe place, angered her. She no longer worried about the wand at her throat. "Then why don't you just kill me then? Isn't that why you're here? To kill us?"

Malfoy scrunched up his face in annoyance. "If I wanted to kill you, I would've done it already. Gosh, you are so daft sometimes." Hermione, irritated with the wizard in front of her, attempted to use her legs as the only weapon she had left and brought her knee up. She missed by an inch and only succeeded in frustrating Malfoy even more. He slammed her against the bookcase, causing her scarcely healed bruise to worsen on her back. She grunted from the pain and squeezed her eyes shut. "Oh, did that hurt? Well, that'll teach you to disrespect someone who is actually trying to _help_ you."

Hermione's eyes shot open. "How are you helping me? You have me unarmed, trapped against a bookcase."

"You are so ungrateful!" He tightened his grip on her wrists. "The only reason I came here was to warn you. You have about twenty minutes before the Death Eaters attack. Do whatever you want with that information, but don't you ever say I never helped you." He lowered his wand and shoved her against the bookcase one last time before disapparating out of the room.

Hermione ignored the pain in her back and the newly formed bruises on her wrists. She retrieved her wand and ran downstairs to relay what was told to her.


	9. Chapter 9: Get Out of Here

**********Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note:** I really wanted to get this out earlier, but I've been so busy, I didn't even finish writing it until yesterday. I actually wrote the entire second half of it on my iPod on the train ride home from New York :P So this one is kind of short, but the next chapter might be just as short. I don't know yet. Anyway, reviews are always appreciated. Enjoy :) **  
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**Chapter 9 - "Get Out of Here."**

The faces of the people seated before Hermione were filled with agony. Ginny had already left the kitchen, on the verge of hysterics, and Fred and George went to comfort her. Somewhere in between telling everyone that Malfoy was in the house and that the Death Eaters were coming, Harry and Ron moved to her sides, both of which were examining her wrists. She pulled her wrists away from them and attempted to give her friends looks of reassurance, but she highly doubted that their worries subsided. No one spoke. Not even Aria who sat in the same spot she was in when Hermione went to the library. Hermione broke the silence, urgency in her voice, "We need to leave now. We don't have much time."

As usual, Harry backed her up, "She's right. If we want to be safe, we need to find another place to stay."

Lupin rose, remaining hand-in-hand with Tonks. "Where are we supposed to go? Do we even have another option for a headquarters?"

"The Burrow." This was the first time Ron had spoken all night. There were no detection of fear in his voice; actually, there was no emotion at all. Ron stood tall next to Hermione, hiding everything he felt. "It will do for now. We just need to focus on getting out of here safely."

"Ron's right," Mr. Weasley chimed in. "Everyone needs to go get their things, but take only what is necessary." He turned to Hermione, "How much time do you suppose we have?"

Hermione thought about for a minute, and then added that minute to the time that they lost sitting in the kitchen, "Five minutes. Ten at the most."

"Okay, that doesn't leave us with much time. Ron, go inform your brothers and sister what's going on. Tell them to get anything they absolutely need and to go the Burrow as fast as they can." Ron nodded at his father and left the kitchen. "Everyone else, we'll meet at the house. I think it would be better for everyone if we left at our own pace. If we left in a crowd, the Death Eaters might notice. Don't go directly to the Burrow. Take a couple of detours, so if you're being followed, you might lead them down a different path. Now, go everyone. We're losing time."

Within seconds, the room cleared out completely. Up in her room, Hermione helped a shaking Ginny get her things together before placing her in the hands of her twin brothers. The three of them rushed downstairs and out the door. Hermione grabbed the essentials, which weren't much, put them in a bag, put the bag on her back and left her room, looking for her two best friends. She was running to their room when she collided with Aria. Both girls looked at each other for a second, but Hermione knew that any arguments now would result in disaster. "Hurry. Get out of here."

Aria didn't question her. She ran down the steps and exited with some of the Order members. Hermione glanced down the steps and concluded that she was one of the last people in the house. She hurried up to the boys' room just in time to see them with their bags on their backs, closing their door. Hermione reached her hand out to Harry and pulled him down the stairs with Ron not far behind. The three sped down the steps, gasping for breath the whole way down. Hermione did a quick search of the ground floor before she started toward the front door.

As she yanked the door open, she didn't even have time to think before she was flung back onto Harry, who fell on Ron, creating a domino effect. The three teenagers scrambled to their feet, pulling each other up and reaching for their wands. Ron didn't even have time to stand up before he was shot back down again. Harry and Hermione rushed to his side and put a shield around their now unconscious friend. Hermione looked up to find herself face-to-face with an almost identical version of the blonde boy that confronted her not long ago. Lucius Malfoy bore a grin that sent a chill of terror down her spine. She didn't even blink before she was cast against the wall. Her bruise once again was the victim of an attack, but she tried her best to ignore it as she rose to her feet. Apparently, Harry had taken care of the older Malfoy, for he was nowhere in sight, but one person Hermione noticed was the one person who had caused her the most physical pain she had ever experienced: Bellatrix. Hermione raised her wand, throwing spells just as she did yesterday with Aria. None of them hit her rival, and spells were now heading her way. This battle was a repeat of her fight in the library, only this time, Hermione wouldn't let herself get distracted. In fact, she barely noticed the fight that was occurring between Harry and Malfoy right next to her, until Malfoy deflected a spell that hit his aunt dead on, knocking her to the ground. Hermione took the opportunity to rid the witch of her wand, which was loosely resting in her hand. "_Expelliarmus!"_

Hermione watched the wand fly from her grasp, while Harry cast _Petrificus Totalus_ on Bellatrix. Harry and Hermione picked up Ron, and upon exiting the house, Hermione sent Malfoy ten feet back into a crowd of Death Eaters before disapparating away.


	10. Chapter 10: We Need To Stick Together

**************Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from the Harry Potter series. They belong to J.K. Rowling.**

**Author's Note:** Okay so, I just wanted to say that I'm most likely going to be updating once a week, whereas I used to update everyday. I just have a lot of things I need to get done, and I have a life. So, yeah, I think that's all. I hope you like this chapter. Reviews make me happy :)**  
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**Chapter 10 - "We Need To Stick Together."**

It was almost impossible to see. The darkness of the alley that the Trio apparated to was overwhelming. Neither Harry nor Hermione moved, though. They didn't try to lighten up the alley. They didn't talk. They sat on the cold concrete in silence after making sure that Ron was all right. They sat side by side in the darkness, comprehending what had occurred just minutes ago.

Hermione was now suffering the aftershocks of her previous battle. Her back was throbbing in pain and her head began to ache. She then remembered the bruises on her wrists and gently touched them, resulting in more pain. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she glanced down at Ron, who was still unconscious. He most likely had a bump on his head, and when her fingers grazed his cheek, she discovered that his skin was cold, from the sudden change of weather no doubt. She brushed a piece of hair from his face and looked up at Harry.

He had a nasty cut on his face. Hermione's hand moved from Ron's hair to Harry's cut. "Harry," she whispered, concerned.

Harry reluctantly moved his face out of her reach. "I'm fine, Hermione." He grabbed her hand, which was still in the air, and covered it with his other hand. Soothingly, he slowly brushed his thumb on the top of her hand. "How are you? Are you hurt?"

Hermione shook her head, even though she knew he could barely see her. "Nothing serious." Releasing her hand, he pulled her closer to him and inspected her for injuries. His hand reached her back. She flinched when he found her bruise and scooted away from him. "It's nothing, really."

"It doesn't seem like nothing." He moved closer and reached for her again.

She slightly pushed him away. "It's just a bruise. There's nothing we can do about it." She shifted her attention back to Ron. "What about him?"

Harry followed her gaze. "He should be fine. It seems like whatever spell he was hit with wasn't anything too serious. We just need to wait for him to wake up, that's all."

"What do you suppose we do now?" Hermione was scared. When she apparated them to this alley, the only thing she was thinking about was what Mr. Weasley had said about taking a detour before going to the Burrow. This alley was nothing special to her. She used to walk by it almost everyday on the way to school before she went to Hogwarts. She barely paid any attention to it, but for some reason, this was the place she thought of while leaving the house on Grimmauld Place. "Should we go to the Burrow now, or should we wait, just in case we're being followed?"

"We're not being followed," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"How do you know?"

Harry looked at her. "Just a feeling. If they were following us, they would've been here already." He paused, almost as if he wasn't sure how to say what was on his mind. "We're not going to the Burrow."

Hermione gave him a confused look. "What are you talking about? Why not?"

"The Death Eaters— they're really strong. We're lucky we got away when we did. We're also lucky that it was just the three of us. If Ginny or Fred or George were there, the outcome might've been different."

"If Ginny or Fred or George were there, we would've been able to take more of the Death Eaters. We're stronger with them, Harry." Harry didn't say anything, so Hermione continued. "And if we don't go, they'll think that something's wrong, that we're hurt or maybe even dead. Do you really want to make them worry about us? It's better if we just go."

Harry contemplated Hermione's words. "I don't know, Hermione. I feel like we just keep getting everyone into trouble."

"There's going to be trouble whether we're there or not." Hermione rested her hand on top of his. "Harry, we need to stick together now more than ever. If we're alone, we're going to be more vulnerable. The more help we have the better. If we want to end this war, it's going to take everyone's power and determination. We can end this; I know we can. It's just going to take time. We're going to have a lot of rough times, and there's going to be a lot of suffering, but in the end, it'll all be worth it."

Hermione could feel Harry begin to shake under her hand, and she knew it wasn't because of the weather. As he looked up at her, she watched as a tear formed in his eye and escaped, falling down the side of his face. Using her free hand, Hermione wiped the tear away. Harry leaned his face against her hand, seeking comfort, and Hermione willingly gave it. She moved next to him, and he rested his head on her shoulder. "I hate this, Hermione. I hate all of it. I hate the constant fighting and all of the fear, not just for everyone else, but for myself, too. I'm scared, Hermione. I never wanted to admit it before because I'm supposed to be the brave one, but I can't hold it in any longer. I don't want to be in a war, and I don't want to die."

Hermione made small circles on his back as she forced back her tears. "I know. And it's okay to be scared. No one said that you had to be fearless, and honestly, I don't expect you to be. This is so much for everyone to take in. I can't even begin to understand how you're feeling. But I can be here for you, and I am. You're not in this alone, Harry. I've got your back no matter what happens. I'll always be here for you."


End file.
